Police officers bitten three times more by humans than they are by dogs

Police officers bitten three times more by humans than they are by dogs

Police officers bitten three times more by humans than they are by dogs, research has shown.

Research carried out by The Sun on Sunday showed that officers were bitten by humans 1,940 times in the past three years, but there had only been 644 bites from dogs in the same period.

The freedom of information request showed that the Metropolitan police recorded 1,021 human bites and 260 dog bites in three years, with 451 officers needing attention for the wounds caused by offenders.

In a survey carried out by the Metropolitan Police Federation last month, 562 officers said they had been bitten in the past two years, with some officers having to take anti-HIV medication due to the injuries sustained.

John Apter, National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales said: “Any attack on a police officer is completely unacceptable and something we have long campaigned about.

“Sadly these figures do not shock me – in fact they don’t represent anywhere near the true picture as many attacks on police officers still go unreported.”

Only 24 police forces responded to the FOI and two declined to give figures, meaning the true number of officers attacked on duty is likely to be far higher.

Some forces are handing out spit and bite guards to officers in a bid to curb the numbers of cops being attacked.

The police federation is now looking at rolling out the defences across the country to ensure officers are protected while at work.

Mr Apter added: “Attacks on police officers – or any emergency service workers – should never be considered ‘just part of the job’ and I hope this new law will act as a deterrent for those who think that it is acceptable to assault police officers, and will appropriately punish those who do.”